If you’re anxious to do a little strawberry picking, you may need to wait a little longer this year.

Cold temperatures have had an impact on the strawberry crops in the area, which will mean a later season than last year — and fewer of the berries available.

“We have two things going on, with the plants not growing as fast and some (growers) losing flowerbeds so we’ll see a later season that last year and a reduction in yield,” said Lisa Rayburn, an agriculture agent with the N.C. Cooperative Extension office in Onslow County.

Last year the area started seeing berries at the end of March, an early season after a mild winter and warm temperatures early in the spring.

Mike Lowe at Mike’s Farm said the cold has slowed the growing down a bit, but it won’t be too long before the popular spring berries are ripe enough to pick.

“Our strawberries are looking pretty good. The season may start a little later but by mid-April to late-April they should come up,” he said.

And he’s anticipating a good crop.

“Honestly, they are looking better than the last couple of years,” Lowe said.

But the recent cold has kept growers at work to protect plants from frost.

“We’ve frost protected a few times over the last couple of weeks,” said Clayton Garner Jr. of Garner Farms located off U.S. 70 east of Newport.

While the cold will mean a little later harvest, Garner said he’ll see a shortage of berries this season for a totally different reason: Plants they purchased from Canada had a virus that has affected the maturity of the plants.

But he remains optimistic about the season ahead.

“On average we don’t start picking until around mid-April. This year it may be a little later,” he said.

Rayburn said the first of the berries should be ready just in time for the April 13 opening of the farmer’s market in Onslow County.

She recommends that people call pick-your-own strawberry farms before going to make sure the berries are ready.

Blueberry season follows the strawberry season and they will likely see a later season and shortage as well.

“We have lost some blueberry plants to the cold so we expect some reduction there,” she said.

While the cold in general slows plant growth, Rayburn said it is also delaying the planting of crops such as tomatoes, peppers and squash.

“What the temperatures are doing is delaying the ability to get out and plant the warmer season crops,” she said.